Late
by Shinyzenith
Summary: Harry and Daphne go on a date. But Harry forgets the right time...


**Late**

Harry awoke with a start as someone loudly stumbled into the sixth year Gryffindor's dorm. He had fallen asleep while sitting on his bed, waiting until it was an acceptable time to leave to go to his first date with Daphne. Sleepily looking around, he noticed Neville picking himself up from the ground in the doorway. Just as he was about to check the time, to see whether he could leave yet, Neville spoke up.

"Harry? You're still here? I thought you said you had that date at seven? Oh wait, never mind, I probably forgot the right time…"

"No, we agreed to meet at eight. How late is it?" Harry checked his watch. "Seven-thirty. I should get ready then. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting."

Harry calmly started to comb his hair, trying to make it look slightly better than usual. While Neville looked thoughtful for a minute, before turning to Harry again.

"Harry, didn't she send you a letter this morning to change the time from eight to seven? Or was it the other way around?"

Harry stopped moving for a second, eyes widening in realization.

"Merlin! You're right! Oh no! I'm half an hour late! She'll kill me!" Harry started to walk around frantically, running his hands through his hair in worry. "What do I do? I can't just show up there and say sorry, can I? She probably won't even be there anymore!"

"Harry, I'm sure she'll understand if you say you're sorry," Neville said, sounding rather unconvinced about it himself, and being unable to keep out a slight hint of sarcasm from his voice.

"Right, of course she will. I'll do that, then," Harry decided, not noticing Neville's sarcastic tone. He quickly turned towards the door, and after patting his hair once to flatten it, he ran out.

"Poor Daphne," Neville muttered, watching his friend leave. "No, poor Harry," he corrected a second later, knowing the Slytherin girl could be nasty when she was angry.

"Harry!" Hermione shouted across the common room as he ran through a group of first years, in his haste making some of them fall to the ground.

Harry ignored this and climbed out the portrait hole and rushed to the entrance to the dungeons, where he was supposed to meet Daphne thirty-five minutes earlier. Hoping she was still there.

It took another few minutes before he finally arrived there, only to see an empty corridor, nobody in sight. Sighing in defeat, he turned back around, but just as he was about to leave, an angry voice spoke up.

"There you are, Potter! You're late!" Recognising the voice, Harry cringed and turned around. Looking innocently at Daphne.

"Um, sorry?" Harry said, looking apologetically.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Potter! And you didn't even sound sorry, so stop looking at me like you are." Harry froze for a second, the same expression still on his face, not knowing what to do. But apparently, nothing was the wrong thing. "Keep looking at me like that, I dare you. You won't like the consequences."

Quickly regaining his senses, Harry tried to think of something to say.

"Daphne! I couldn't help it! I just fell asleep and didn't wake up until Neville woke me! It wasn't my fault." Apparently, this was the wrong thing to say.

"Don't give me silly excuses. At least be man enough to admit your mistakes. Take responsibility." Daphne looked him in the eyes. "I'm disappointed, Harry. I expected more from you."

Harry averted his eyes. Suddenly feeling like an idiot.

"You're right," he admitted. "I just forgot about the changed times. I _am_ really sorry."

"That's better," she said approvingly, looking less angry suddenly.

"Can you give me one more chance? I know you said you wouldn't, but… I really do like you. Please? I promise I won't forget anything again, trust me."

"Normally I'd never do this, but I do like you myself, Harry. I'll trust you to keep that promise. Don't make me regret it," Daphne said. "I'll give you a chance to make up for this horrible start of our first date. But remember you've lost half an hour already. I won't stay too long."

"Of course! I'll definitely make up for it," Harry quickly said. "Let's go to the kitchens then."

Daphne snorted.

"The kitchens? Really? You couldn't think of a more romantic spot for dinner?"

"Well, we're not allowed to go to Hogsmeade right now, and I don't know any other good places to have dinner at Hogwarts. There's the Great Hall, but I didn't think that would be very private."

"There are house-elves in the kitchens," Daphne reminded him.

"Yes, but I don't really count them. They'll leave us alone after giving us the food."

"Except for when they come to ask if we need more every five minutes, you mean?"

"All right, maybe we won't be alone there either. But I really didn't know any better places."

"For someone with the reputation of breaking nearly every possible school rule, you sure seem rather determined to _not_ break any. Hogsmeade would've been just fine."

"Um, Hermione said that would be a bad idea for a date?"

"In general it would be a bad idea, yes. But _Hermione_ doesn't know me. I don't mind a bit of adventure."

Harry looked at Daphne for a few moments in silence, before deciding.

"Would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me then?"

"Yes. I'd like that," Daphne agreed, smiling now.

Harry quickly led her to the One-Eyed Witch Statue, with the passage to Hogsmeade hidden behind it.

"Where would you like to go?" he asked on the way there.

"Anywhere is fine with me, as long as they have good food."

"The Three Broomsticks is close to Honeydukes, and that's where the passage leads, so we'll go there. Madame Rosmerta doesn't shouldn't tell anyone she saw us there. At least, Fred and George once said she doesn't."

"And we can trust them?" Daphne asked disbelievingly.

"I think we can, just this once."

"If you say so… I'll trust you on this," Daphne said.

Harry took her hand and led her into the secret passage. Both had a wonderful evening.


End file.
